Plasma screens are heavy, energy-hungry, but produce gorgeous color. LED-backlit LCD TVs, conversely, are light, thin, and energy-efficient. But they’re also among the most expensive HDTVs around. If affordability and relative power efficiency are crucial, a standard CFFL-backlit LCD TV is the way to go. It may not be as razor-thin as its LED counterparts, but for a 1080p set with identical screen area, the old fluorescent light tech will save you hundreds.

This deal on a Sharp 46-inch LCD TV is savings in action. It’s CCFL-backlit, so there’s less bulk than a plasma screen of comparable size and it’s less expensive than an LED TV. Plus, you’re not missing out on high-quality resolution because it’s 1080p.

The 60Hz refresh rate is a less than desirable — especially when there are 240Hz sets out there — but again, you’re trying to cut costs at every corner. (And if that corner is a frame jump for a fraction of a second every once in a while, so be it.)

This set does have excellent contrast and projects with almost equal quality in bright and dim environments. The analog and digital ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuners provides many ways to connect, and the four HDMI inputs are great if you’re the kind of person that likes to keep the Roku, Xbox, etc., connected all the time.

This Sharp LCD set won’t redefine your TV-watching experience, but it’s a great deal on a 46-inch TV with solid picture quality.